Paving the way for mobility in vocation education

Early this month the European Commission officially launched its initiative on a European credit system for vocation education and training, ECVET. The need for a credit system of this kind has been discussed in the vocational education circles for several years, and building on the success of the European credit transfer and accumulation system for higher education (ECTS) it is now finally materialising.

The purpose of the credit system is to facilitate mobility of students between European countries, and aims at formal recognition of knowledge and skills gained abroad. It is not to replace national credit systems, but to support ‘translation’ from one system to another. Indeed, it is proclaimed to be fully compatible both with the ECTS as well as national credit systems in vocation education and training.

The Commission proposal takes the form of a Recommendation, which has been now submitted for approval to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. Member States would eventually adopt the ECVET on a voluntary basis.